Users of shared restrooms in public settings such as office buildings, dormitories, hotels, airports, and residences such as homes and apartments, have social discomfort in offending others with embarrassing odors that arise while using a toilet or with odors that may persist after using the toilet. This concern of embarrassment can be particularly significant in individuals suffering from various gastrointestinal disorders such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, celiac disease, lactose intolerance, gastrointestinal infections and other disorders. Concern for concealment of bathroom odors is also elevated after eating certain types of foods which result in particularly pungent stool or urine, or result in elevated gaseousness, such as foods rich in sulfurous compounds, red meat and many types of vegetables.
There exist a variety of currently marketed deodorizing products intended to reduce unpleasant toilet odors. However, these existing products all suffer from various shortcomings.
Aerosol sprays are a commonly used deodorizing product. This dispensing system uses pressurized gas to propel liquid out of a metal can (termed a propellant gas), thereby creating a fine mist of atomized liquid particles. The most commonly used propellants are combinations of hydrocarbons, primarily butane, propane and isobutane—all of which are highly flammable. There are several health concerns surrounding the use of aerosols, most significantly the inhalation of chemical spray components which can be respiratory irritants. Aerosol sprays, as well as other types of deodorizing products, can also be accompanied by undesirable chemical odors, for example, as caused by a liquid carrier or an aerosol propellant.
Pump spray products use a manual hand action to create a mist or spray of liquid, but without the use of propellants. They often incorporate an alcohol as a carrier for the aromatic agent in the formulation. These liquid products also generate potentially irritating airborne particles. Furthermore, the non-directional application of aerosol or spray-pump products can harm finished surfaces and may leak, spill or drip.
Liquid products that are directly applied into the toilet bowl, for example, by a dropper mechanism, also have drawbacks. These types of products are prone to over-application, and can impart an undesirable overpowering fragrance to the environment that is difficult to modulate. Liquid drop products also carry a high risk of spillage and dripping.
Multiuse containers for the application of deodorizing agents, such as spray cans, hand pumps and dropper-style applicators, all carry an additional risk in that they are inherently unsanitary. Because these types of containers are handled prior to and after toileting affairs, most frequently by multiple individuals, they can act as vehicles for disseminating microbial and viral pathogens, and other types of pathogenic organisms.
Devices that continually emit a fragrance outside of the toilet bowl and/or in the toilet room are also known. Plug-in devices that continually emit fragrance are limited in their use in that they are not portable and require an AC power source. Similarly, battery powered devices suffer from the same limitation in that they require a DC power source. Any device that continually emits a masking scent, including plug-in devices, battery-operated devices, and other devices that do not require a power source, frequently have the drawback that the continuous scent emitted from the device itself become overpowering and noxious when the user no longer needs a cover-up fragrance.
Deodorizing devices that incorporate a water reservoir in conjunction with scented ingredients are potentially reservoirs for unwanted microbial growth, in particular, mold. This includes homemade deodorizing sprays.
The persistence of strongly scented deodorizing agents such as any of those described above can also be equally embarrassing in that they are indicative of the toilet user's activities.
What is needed in the art are deodorizing products that do not contain propellant gasses, are not overpowering in scent, do not spray or drip, do not contain irritants or chemical odors, are sanitary, and are portable and discrete. The present invention, in its many embodiments, provides compositions and methods that overcome these challenges in the industry, and provide many benefits over the state of the art previously unrealized in other types of personal deodorizing products.
The presently described invention differs from existing products in many unique and beneficial ways, and one of skill in the art will appreciate the variety of benefits that flow from the invention. For example, the invention is single-use, i.e., sanitary, and not shared between multiple users; it is easily portable and physically discrete, and can be concealed in a pocket, wallet or handbag; is leak-proof, spill-proof and will not drip; and the product emits a subtle and temporary scent, effectively reducing, eliminating or masking unpleasant toilet odors. The invention product can be a natural and/or non-toxic deodorizing product. The invention has a variety of deodorizing applications. Still further benefits flow from the invention described herein, as will be apparent upon reading the present disclosure.